2023 NFC South Division Preview: Carolina Panthers Poised To Win Division Crown
The 2023-24 NFL season kick-off is almost here! OutKick is unveiling its team-by-team preview series. Over the past two weeks, we covered the AFC West and NFC West and the AFC North and NFC North. This week, we're tackling the two South divisions, continuing with last year's second-place finisher in the NFC South, the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina Panthers 2022-23 Record: 7-10
Carolina Panthers 2023-24 Win Total Over/Under: 7.5
Offseason Moves
The Panthers return most of last year's team, which is better news than you might think. Also better news is that they don't start this season with head coach Matt Rhule. Rhule was badly overmatched in the NFL and that was clear. The team played better under interim Steve Wilks. But the organization decided to hire Frank Reich as the permanent head coach.
That's a massive move for the organization. Reich helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win with a combination of Nick Foles and Carson Wentz at quarterback. He had a tough tenure in Indianapolis, but that organization is a mess.
The Panthers traded away wide receiver DJ Moore as part of a package to obtain the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft from the Chicago Bears. That's a big loss -- and really the only significant loss the team had -- as Moore is a highly underrated and very talented offensive playmaker.
To help replace Moore, they signed veterans Adam Thielen and DJ Chark. They also added running back Miles Sanders and tight end Hayden Hurst in what was a complete overhaul over their skill positions. The Panthers heavily valued veteran skill-position players knowing that they were going to draft -- and likely start -- a rookie quarterback.
The Carolina Panthers brought in veteran skill players to help rookie quarterback Bryce Young, who they drafted with the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
On defense, Carolina signed veteran safety Vonn Bell, who had previously formed one of the best safety duos in the NFL with Jessie Bates in Cincinnati. And, they brought in interior defender Shy Tuttle, who started 14 games last season for the Saints.
Obviously, the Panthers drafted Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick. In the second round, they selected Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo. The team likely sees him as the true DJ Moore replacement. In round three, they added some defensive depth by picking Oregon edge rusher DJ Johnson. Carolina selected just five times total in this year's draft.
Season Outlook
As you might be able to tell, I'm very high on the Carolina Panthers. The defense underachieved a bit last season, but still finished middle-of-the-pack. That's despite being put in some terrible situations by some of the worst quarterback play in the NFL. They were one of four teams in the league to throw for fewer than 3,000 yards for the season.
They return the core of the defense and added Vonn Bell. Plus, safety Jeremy Chinn and cornerback Donte Jackson missed significant time with injuries. Steve Wilks, the team's defensive coordinator, took over as head coach after Week 5. That left the team without a dedicated DC.
This year, they turn to Ejiro Evero. Evero was the Broncos defensive coordinator last season. He's a relatively young coach (42) and an up-and-comer with a lot to prove. Expect a much better overall effort from that unit this season.
The Panthers added Vonn Bell to a defense that should be very good in 2023 and help Carolina contend for an NFC South crown during the upcoming NFL season. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
But of course, everything hinges on rookie quarterback Bryce Young. I think Young is in the best position of any rookie quarterback. Both CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson have rookie NFL head coaches.
Young has Reich, who is not only a former NFL head coach but known to be great for quarterback development. Do I need to re-write that he helped lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl win with Carson Wentz and Nick Foles?
Young also has the advantage of having played at Alabama. He played in big games including the College Football Playoff and National Championship. That's beneficial because he won't be rattled by the big stage early in his career.
The Panthers nearly won the NFC South last season with horrific quarterback play and a mess of a situation on the sideline. They are better in both respects. I like the Panthers to win the division and easily cover the over on the win total.